In Cambodia, crickets mean $$ - and a tasty treat

Residents in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh are licking their lips over the arrival of a favorite local delicacy - crickets.

The seasonal invasion of the insects, during a full moon in the early part of the rainy season, is considered a bonanza, sparking a rush to capture and cash in on the bugs.Walking slowly, crouched over in the glow of a street light, 35-year-old Bun Vutha, and his 10-year-old son are busy catching crickets.

"They're good food for us, you know, and they're delicious and not so cheap in the market," Bun Vutha said.

Bun Vutha pounces on a cricket, carefully picks it up and puts it in a bottle carried by his son.

"I'm sorry to do that cricket but you were born an animal which is the food for human beings," he says.

Uk Heang sells crickets at Phnom Penh's central market.

The 15-year-old vendor said she buys the insects from cricket hunters who work in the countryside around the city. She sells about 2,500 of the insects a day, earning about 40,000 riel ($9.50). Four members of her family are involved in the cricket business.

"The cricket hunters dig holes in the ground where the crickets are living and pour in water, forcing them out," she said.

Chhum Him, enjoying a beer with some friends at a city restaurant, says he's a big fan of crickets - lightly grilled with a peanut placed in the abdomen.